1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a roller assembly which is adapted for use with a conventional hand held, motor powered rotary disk buffing machine generally used for the repair and the restoration of furniture.
2. Description of the related art including information disclosed under 37 CFR .sctn..sctn.1.97-1.99
Heretofore, a number of roller buffer devices have been proposed for other uses. Examples of some of these devices are disclosed in the following U.S. Patents:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Patentee ______________________________________ 4,959,884 Ingermann et al. 4,907,371 Shoda et al. 4,570,278 Bloome et al. 4,499,624 Bloome et al. 4,398,374 Amann et al. ______________________________________
The Ingermann et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,959,884 discloses a bowling lane stripper and dressing apparatus. This apparatus includes a carriage movable along the entire length of the bowling alley. A reversible drive mechanism is connected to the carriage and has a drive shaft operative to advance the carriage along a predetermined course in both a forward and reverse direction. The carriage has a lane buffing mechanism in the rear section thereof, which includes a roller and a drive, the roller is journaled for rotation with its surface in lane contacting relationship about an horizontal axis extending transversely of the direction of travel. Lane-dressing structure including a reservoir for storing lane dressing fluid is connected to the lane buffing roller. The fluid can be transferred from the reservoir to the surface of the lane-buffing roller.
The Shoda et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,371 discloses an automatic polishing machine. The automatic polishing machine can polish a curved skin, such as a skin on the bottom of an airplane, automatically and efficiently along a three dimensional plane of the skin. The automatic polishing machine comprises a horizontal beam extending between the upper portions of a pair of fixed vertical columns. A carriage is mounted for movement along a horizontal rail on the beam. A slider, which is attached to the carriage, is capable of upward or downward movement. A turning member is mounted on the slider and is capable of forward and backward turning movement. A rocking member, mounted for up and down rocking motion on the turning of the turning member, carries a spindle for carrying and rotating the buffer thereon. Accordingly, the buffer can move leftwardly or rightwardly in an integral relationship with the carriage, or upwardly or downwardly in an integral relationship with the slider, or if the turning member is turned the buffer is integrally inclined.
The Bloome et al. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,570,274 and 4,499,624 disclose a portable polisher and buffer apparatus for surface preparation or for surface repair of substrates, such as sheet aluminum. This apparatus includes elongated polish rolls that are driven by a motor in conjunction with a suitable counter rotating drive arrangement such that one polishing roll rotates in a clockwise direction about its elongate axis and another polishing roll rotates in a counterclockwise direction about its elongate axis. The apparatus may also include features for counter oscillating the polishing rolls about the their respective longitudinal axes.
The Amann et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,374 discloses a polishing machine having a rotary reciprocating shaft. The machine has a tool carrying spindle driven with a combined rotating and rocking action.